Rolling mill cutting apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for selectively cutting a continuously moving cast metal bar in a rolling mill. The cast metal bar is fed from a continuous casting wheel through a pair of rollers for a first reduction in its cross-sectional area. Rotating helical cutters are located immediately after the first set of rollers for cutting the cast metal bar at an acute angle relative to the central longitudinal axis of the bar, so as to provide a substantially pointed leading edge for the cast metal bar. Immediately following the rotating cutters, a second set of rollers are provided for a second reduction in the crosssectional area of the cast metal bar. The cutters are selectively activated for severing or cutting the bar when desired.

3 u w 5 1 1 3 8 7, M. 3 M H .J U H 1,544,565 7/1925 Edwards 3,552,1611/1971 Garbe eta1..... 3,020,788

[541 ROLLING MILL CUTTING APPARATUS AND METHOD [75] Inventors: Ralph A.Vogel,

m e t 6 Di Three Rivers, Mich.; Kenneth F. Edwards, Lancaster, OhioPrimary Examiner-Milton S. Mehr Attorney-Molinare, Allegretti, Newitt &Witcoff ABSTRACT [73] Assignee: Essex International, Inc., Fort Wayne,lnd.

[22] Filed: May 7, 1971 A method and apparatus for selectively cutting acon- [211 AppL No: 141,153 tinuously moving cast metal bar in a rollingmil1. The cast metal bar 18 fed from a continuous casting wheel througha pair of rollers for a first reduction in its U 5 Cl cross-sectionalarea. Rotating helical cutters are 6 located immediately after the firstset of rollers for [51] Int. Cl. .....B2lb 1/00 .72/203, 4, 5;

cutting the cast metal bar at an acute angle relative to Field ofSearch...............................

the central longitudinal axis of the bar, so as to pro- 83/342, 345,285; 164/76 vide a substantially pointed leading edge for the cast metalbar. Immediately following the rotating cutters,

[56] References Cited a second set of rollers are provided for a secondreduction in the cross-sectional area of the cast metal bar. The cuttersare selectively activated for severing UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,538,72611/1970 2,172,359 9/1939 Campbell........... 2,698,467 1/1955 Tarquineeet 5 m. o O

a l 0 O 2 N m 4 2 z 5 2 0 l \l O O J 2 2 Patented May 8, 1973 3,731,512

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 jrzz/nzorsx 15. 05071 M Vogel ROLLING MILL CIITTINGAPPARATUS AND METHOD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTIONAND DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART This invention relates to an apparatusand method for selectively cutting a continuously cast metal bar, suchas copper bar or an aluminum bar, in a rolling mill.

In the continuous casting and rolling of cast metal bars, such as in themanufacture of copper rod or aluminum rod, the metal is castcontinuously, such as by using a continuously rotating casting wheel. Achamber is provided in the casting wheel by a peripheral groove in thewheel and a metal belt covering the groove. The hot molten metal ispoured into this casting chamber and the hot metal is cooled as thewheel rotates so that a solid metal bar is formed therein. The metalbar, in the solid state, is soft and malleable because it remains in aheated condition; The hot metal bar is then directed to a rolling millwhere a series of rollers reduce the cross-sectional area of the rod invarious stages until a rod of a desired cross-sectional area and shapeis attained.

After the formation of the metal bar and as the bar is moving throughthe rolling mill, for various reasons, it is necessary to cut the bar.For example, in the continuous casting and rolling operation process,it'is common for the early portions of the continuous cast metal bar tobe unsatisfactory for formation into cast rod. Thus, the bar is cut andthe cut pieces are recycled or scrapped. Also, if there is a malfunctionduring any portion of the casting or rolling operation, it is necessaryto stop the operation and the metal bar may then be severed. If there isa malfunction in the casting wheel, for example, and it must be stopped,it is desireable to initiate cutting so that the metal in the mill canbe rolled through. This is to avoid leaving a cold reduction sequence inthe mill, which is difficult to remove. On the other hand, if amalfunction occurs in the mill, for example, a cobble, but the castingoperation is operating well, cutting is initiated to allow the castingand first reduction to continue while the downstream rolling millproblem is cleared up. Once the problem has been cleared, and the millis operating, the cutting is stopped and rolling proceeds.

Such severing or cutting of the cast metal bar usually takes place whilethe bar is moving. It is common to position these cutters between thefirst and second set of reducing rollers in the rolling mill. Cuttersknown to be used are of the guillotine type and are mounted on atraveling frame movable at the same speed as the bar. The purpose ofthis is to cut the traveling bar without either retarding its movementor moving faster than the traveling bar. The structure of these cuttersis rather complex, and conventionally, the traveling frame is moved byan air cylinder which is designed to move the cutters longitudinally ofand at the same linear speed as the metal bar. Furthermore, it has beenconventional to provide guide rollers or pinch rollers after the cuttingoperation is performed so that the leading cut edge can be properlyguided into the next set of reducing rollers. These pinch rollers wereconsidered necessary because the guillotine type cutter created arelatively blunt leading edge.

SUMMARY OF THE lNVENTlON It is therefore an important object of thisinvention to provide an improved apparatus for cutting a cast metal bar,particularly in a continuous casting and rolling process, wherein theapparatus is simple in construction and yet highly effective inoperation.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatusfor severing a continuous cast metal bar wherein the leading edge of thebar is cut to define a pointed end so that it can be readily feddirectly to the next set of reducing rollers without the necessity ofinterposing any guide or feed rollers.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved methodand apparatus for cutting the continuous cast metal bar in a continuouscasting and rolling process wherein the cutters comprise rotatinghelical cutters having substantially the same peripheral speed as thelinear speed of the cast metal bar.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improvedcutting apparatus for .a cast metal bar in a continuous casting androlling process wherein the cast metal bar is severed by rotatinghelical cutters which cut the bar at an acute angle relative to thelongitudinal axis of the bar so a leading pointed edge is provided forfeeding into the next reducing rollers.

Further purposes and objects of this invention will appear as thespecification proceeds.

The foregoing objects are accomplished by providing an apparatus andmethod for rolling and selectively cutting a continuous cast metal barin a rolling mill wherein a first set of reducing rollers mounted in themill reduces the cross-sectional area of the metal bar to a firstcross-sectional area, a second set of rollers mounted in the mill reducethe cross-sectional area of the cast metal bar to a secondcross-sectional area, and helical rotating cutters are provided in themill for cutting the cast metal bar to define a pointed leading edge onthe metal bar, the cutters being interposed between the first and secondsets of rollers, and control means are provided for selectivelyactivating the rotating helical cutters so that the bar is cut at aselected time.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, one particularembodiment of the present invention is illustrated wherein:

FIG. I is a schematic, side-elevational view of a continuous castingwheel and rolling mill, wherein our improved cutting apparatus isprovided;

FIG. 2 is a detailed side elevational view of the cutting portion of theapparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational, partially sectioned view of the cuttingapparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of a cam arrangement provided forcontrolling the operation of the cutters;

FIG. 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2; and 1 FIG. 6 is atop plan view of the cut made by the cutters on a bar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1,the rolling mill, generally 10, in which my improved cutting apparatus,generally 12, is used, is schematically shown. The rolling mill lisshown in association with continuous casting apparatus, generally 14.

The casting apparatus 14 is a conventional construction and includes acasting wheel 16 having a circumferential peripheral groove 17 therein.The casting wheel 16 has the groove 17 enclosed by a continuous belt 18.The groove 17 in the casting wheel 16 enclosed by the belt 18 defines acasting chamber. The casting wheel 16 is rotated about a horizontal axis20 and is rotatable in a vertical plane. The hot molten metal is pouredfrom, for example, a spout 22. The hot molten metal, such as copper oraluminum, is poured into the continuous casting chamber formed in thecasting wheel 16. The wheel 16 is rotated and the hot molten metal iscooled within the continuous casting chamber, as by a water spray, so asto solidify the bar 24. The bar 24 passes from the casting chamber, andis directed to the rolling mill 10, as by the use of guide rollers 25.In passing from the casting wheel 14, to the rolling mill 10, the metalbar 24 is in a heated, solid and malleable condition, between thecasting apparatus and the rolling mill 10. I

The rolling mill section generally includes a frame 26 which operativelycarries a first set of reducing rollers 28 and the cutting apparatus 12immediately following the first set of reducing rollers 28. Theserollers provide a flattened or horizontally elongated cross-section forthe bar 24, which shape facilitates cutting by the rotary cutters 77 and78. A second set of reducing rollers 30 is mounted on a mill section 11following the cutting apparatus 12. The rollers 30 comprise the firstoperating members following the cutting apparatus 14, although a guidetrough 32 is desirably interposed between the cutting rollers 12 and thesecond set of reducing rollers 30. The guide trough 32 is secured to aportable support 34 carried on the frame 26. The guide trough 32 ispivotally adjusted by a drive assembly 33 so as to feed the bar 24 to aposition between the second set of reducing rollers 30. It is alsodesirable to provide spaced upper and lower spaced guide rollers 38 atthe end portion of the frame 26 for properly guiding the moving castmetal bar 24 in between the first set of reducing rollers 28.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the cutting assembly 12 ismounted in a rolling mill frame 26. An upper cutter shaft 40 and a lowercutter shaft 42 are rotatably mounted within the upright support plate44 of the rolling mill frame 26. Bearings 46 and 48 are fixed in thesupport plate 44 and rotatably receive the rearwardly extending rotatingcutter shafts 40 and 42. Each of the shafts 40 and 42 are rotatablyreceived within bearings 50 and 52 in a support plate 54 spaced from thefront plate 44. Intermeshing spur gears 56 and 58 are mounted on theupper shaft 40 and lower shaft 42, respectively, in the spaceintermediate the cutter support plates 44 and 54. The gears 56 and 58are rigidly secured to the shafts 40 and 42 and rotate at the samerotational speed in opposite directions. With reference to FIGS. 1 and2, the upper roller 77 rotates clockwise and the lower roller 78 rotatescounterclockwise at a peripheral speed equal to that of the cast bar.

The lower cutter shaft 42 is operatively connected to a gear reducer 60.The gear reducer 60 in turn, has a shaft 61 which has a pulley 62fixedly secured thereto. The pulley 62 engages belt 63 which alsoengages a pulley 64 on a drive shaft 65 of a clutch 66 which isoperatively connected to a drive shaft, in axial alignment with theclutch shaft 66, of a drive motor 67. A pulley 68 is mounted on the endof the motor drive shaft and engages a belt 69. The belt 69 also engagesa pulley 70 On the shaft 71 of a gear reducer 72, having an output shaft73 which operates the first set of reducing rollers 28.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a cam 74 is fixedly mounted on the lowercutter shaft 42. A cam follower 75 rides on the cam 74 and is connectedto a guided and slidable cam rod 76. The purpose of the cam arrangementis to position the cutters 77 and 78 at one selected stop position sothat the cast metal bar 24 passes freely between the cutters 77 and 78when the cutters are inoperative. A switch (not shown) activates theelectrically activated clutch 66 to cause one revolution to be impartedto the cutters 77 and 78. When the high portion of the cam 74 returns tothe start position, shown in FIG. 4, the cam rod 76 operates the stopswitch 79 to disengage the clutch 66 from the drive motor 67. Thismechanism thus assures that the cutters 77 and 78 stop at only oneposition to permit continuous passage of the cast metal bar.

As seen best in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, cutters 77 and 78 have helicalinterengaging outer peripheries which effectively define interengagingcutting or knife edges. When the cutters 77 and 78 are rotated in thedirections described with the metal bar 24 passing therebetween, thesecutting surfaces and 151 sever the bar 24 so as to define a pointedleading edge 82, as shown in FIG. 6, for the bar 24 since these helicalcutters cut the bar at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axisof the bar 24. Such helical rotating cutters are known and are similarto those shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,172,359 and 3,095,774.

In practicing our method for cutting the cast metal bar at a selectedtime, the elongated continuous metal bar 24 is directed to the rollingmill 10 from the casting apparatus 14 and specifically from the castingwheel 16. Upon passing from the casting wheel 16, the metal bar 24 is ina heated and malleable condition so that it may be reduced incross-sectional area, by the first set of reducing rollers 28 in therolling mill section 10.

At the start of the rolling and casting operation, the portions of thebar 24 which are initially formed are often unsatisfactory and, are notused, but merely recycled or scrapped. The bar 24 is guided by the guiderollers 38 which feed the bar 24 to the first set of reducing rollers28. These rollers reduce the cross-sectional area to a firstcross-sectional area and shape. The bar 24 is then normally passedbetween the upper and lower cutters 77 and 78, while in theirinoperative position, so that the bar 24 passes therebetween. The bar24, after the first reduction, is dimensioned so as to pass between thecutter peripheries, in the position shown in FIGS. 2 and'3. Afterpassing between the inoperative cutters 77 and 78, the bar 24 continuesto the second set of reducing rollers 30 in the mill section 11 for asecond reduction. Any desired number of reducing rollers are positionedbeyond the second set of rollers. For example, eight sets of reducingrollers may be utilized in the following mill sections to produce a rodof desired cross-sectional area and shape.

When it is desired to cut the bar 24 for any reason, such as forscrapping or recycling an improperly formed bar, or when there is aproblem in the production line, the operator operates the switch (notshown) which engages the clutch 66. The clutch remains engaged to rotatethe cutters 77 and 78 through the reducer 60, until the cam 74 hascompleted one revolution to operate the switch 79, thereby stoppingcutter rotation at the desired inoperative position. The cutters 77 and78 rotate in the same linear direction and at the same peripheral speedas the bar 24 so that the bar 24 passing therebetween is neither speededup nor retarded in movement by the cutters. It is important that thehelical cutters 77 and 78 cut the bar 24 with a pointed leading edge 80.in this way, the cut leading edge 80 is readily directed into the secondset of reducing rollers 30. Normally, the drive shaft 42 rotates onerevolution, and when the cam 74 reaches its high point, the cut offswitch 79 operates to disengage the clutch 66. Alternatively, the startup switch (not shown) may be put into a continuous operating position,to normally by-pass the switch 79, so that the cutters 77 and 78continue to rotate and cut the bar into successive short sectionssubstantially equal in length to the circumference of the cutters 77 and78.

While in the foregoing, there has been provided a detailed descriptionof a particular embodiment of the present invention, it is to beunderstood that all equivalents obvious to'those having skill in the artare to be included within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. Apparatus for rolling and selectively cutting a continuously movingcast metal bar in a rolling mill, said apparatus comprising, incombination, a frame, a first set of rollers mounted on said frame forreducing said cast metal bar to a first cross-sectional area and shape,

a second set of rollers mounted on said frame for reducing said castmetal bar to a second cross-sectional area and shape, a pair of cutterspositioned intermediate said first and second set of rollers and havingcooperating helical cutting edges for cutting said cast metal bar todefine a pointed leading edge on said metal bar for facilitating feedingof said bar into said second set of rollers, said cutters having anoperative condition and an inoperative condition, said cutters beingspaced apart a sufficient distance to permit the passage of said bartherebetween when said cutt'ers are in the inoperative position, andmeans for rotating said cutters for cutting said bar only at: a selectedtime when said cutters are in the operative condition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rollers, said cutters, and saidsecond set of rollers are in substantially direct alignment with eachother and said cutters are rotated at a speed and directionsubstantially the same as the linear speed and direction as said castmetal bar.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for positioning said cuttersat said inoperative condition for permitting said bar to pass betweensaid cutters,

A method for selectively cutting a continuously moving cast metal bar ina rolling mill, having first and second sets of reducing rollers, saidmethod comprising the steps of feeding a continuous cast metal bar intosaid first set of reducing rollers, reducing said cast metal bar to afirst cross-sectional area and shape with said first set of reducingrollers, selectively cutting said reduced cast metal bar at an acuteangle relative to the central longitudinal axis of said bar for defininga substantially pointed leading edge for said cast metal bar, andimmediately thereafter feeding said pointed leading edge into saidsecond set of reducing rollers for reducing said cast metal bat to asecond cross-sectional area and shape, said pointed leading edgefacilitating said feeding of said bar into said second set of rollers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said cutting step includes providinginterengaging rotating helical cutters, and rotating said helicalcutters at the same peripheral speed and direction as the linear speedand direction of said cast metal bar.

1. Apparatus for rolling and selectively cutting a continuously movingcast metal bar in a rolling mill, said apparatus comprising, incombination, a frame, a first set of rollers mounted on said frame forreducing said cast metal bar to a first cross-sectional area and shape,a second set of rollers mounted on said frame for reducing said castmetal bar to a second crosssectional area and shape, a pair of cutterspositioned intermediate said first and second set of rollers and havingcooperating helical cutting edges for cutting said cast metal bar todefine a pointed leading edge on said metal bar for facilitating feedingof said bar into said second set of rollers, said cutters having anoperative condition and an inoperative condition, said cutters beingspaced apart a sufficient distance to permit the passage of said bartherebetween when said cutters are in the inoperative position, andmeans for rotating said cutters for cutting said bar only at a selectedtime when said cutters are in the operative condition.
 2. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein said rollers, said cutters, and said second set ofrollers are in substantially direct alignment with each other and saidcutters are rotated at a speed and direction substantially the same asthe linear speed and direction as said cast metal bar.
 3. The apparatusof claim 1 including means for positioning said cutters at saidinoperative condition for permitting said bar to pass between saidcutters.
 4. A method for selectively cutting a continuously moving castmetal bar in a rolling mill, having first and second sets of reducingrollers, said method comprising the steps of feeding a continuous castmetal bar into said first set of reducing rollers, reducing said castmetal bar to a first cross-sectional area and shape with said first setof reducing rollers, selectively cutting said reduced cast metal bar atan acute angle relative to the central longitudinal axis of said bar fordefining a substantially pointed leading edge for said cast metal bar,and immediately thereafter feeding said pointed leading edge into saidsecond set of reducing rollers for reducing said cast metal bat to asecond cross-sectional area and shape, said pointed leading edgefacilitating said feeding of said bar into said second set of rollers.5. The method of claim 1 wherein said cutting step includes providinginterengaging rotating helical cutters, and rotating said helicalcutters at the same peripheral speed and direction as the linear speedand direction of said cast metal bar.